Last Modified: Friday, September 6, 2013 at 12:12 a.m.

The entry fee is $200 per angler for the Boater Division; $100 per angler for the Co-angler Division. Registration takes place Friday, Sept. 13 at the marina from 4 to 6:30 p.m. followed by pairings and a pre-tournament briefing at 7 p.m.

High Rock ranked 80th on the 2013 Bassmaster Magazine's list of the top 100 bass lakes in the country, though the fishing has been slowed this season by heavy rains and muddy water.

With a recent drop in the water level, the crankbait bite might come into play more than it has in past tournaments. Most fishermen have been beating the piers with jigs and soft plastics to catch fish with the lake nearly full.

If the lake level doesn't rise again, fishermen will have access to Abbotts and Flat Swamp creeks. Only fishermen with low-profile boats or those willing to dismantle pedestal seats and windshields have been able to pass under the bridges to fish these creeks under high-water conditions.

The stakes are high at this tournament. The top anglers from this division join the top anglers from the Virginia, Maryland, New York, and Ohio divisions at a two-day regional event Oct. 11-12 on the James River, Williamsburg, Va. The top anglers in the regional competition advance to the Nov. 6-9 BWS National Championship on Old Hickory Lake, Tenn. The winner of that event gets to fish the 2014 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville, Ala.

Next season the Bassmaster Weekend Series — operated by American Bass Anglers through an agreement with B.A.S.S. — will cease to exist.

B.A.S.S. announced it will not renew its licensing agreement with the ABA after this year.

"The agreement, which began in 2007, will end Dec. 31," said Morris Sheehan, president of ABA. "ABA, based in Athens, Ala., will continue to conduct a series of one-and two-day professional bass fishing tournaments named the Weekend Bass Tour, or WBT. The newly named tour will not be associated with B.A.S.S. or its brands.

"We are proud of our association with B.A.S.S. and the Bassmaster brand over the past seven years. American Bass Anglers, our staff, and our tournament directors throughout the country have always been dedicated to serving weekend fishermen, and we will continue that tradition for years to come."

B.A.S.S. will seek other avenues to enhance grass-roots fishing.

"The Bassmaster Weekend Series has enabled B.A.S.S. members to compete on fisheries in their local regions, and we are grateful to ABA for providing those opportunities," said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. "The time has come to consider other grass-roots formats, including some that will enhance the B.A.S.S. Nation network of competitive events. We wish ABA success in its endeavors."

Hank Cherry of Maiden recently won the BASS 2013 Rookie of the Year title, finishing with 507 points, more than 40 points ahead of his closest competitor.

During his rookie season on the tour, Cherry placed in the money in six of the eight Elite Series events following his third-place finish in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic.

"Being part of the Elite Series is real humbling," Cherry said. "Special is a lackluster word. It's been everything I imagined. I've watched most of these guys on TV, and I'm going to dinner with them and talking fishing with them — it's pretty unreal."

Dan Michaelson, aquatic biologist with the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries, said Kerr Lake is slowly recovering from the bass virus that infected its bass population.

Anglers and biologists noted a decline in the number of big largemouth bass being caught at Kerr around 2004, but the virus wasn't confirmed until 2010.

"The growth rates are holding steady, and the fishery has improved in 2013 from what it was in 2012," said Michaelson. "The catch rates are good though bass weighing 4 pounds or more are scarce. Kerr will never return to the phenomenal bass fishery it was back in the '70s, but it can become a quality bass lake again."

<p>The Toyota Bassmaster Weekend Series N.C. Division 5 visits High Rock Lake Sept.-14-15 for its divisional championship.</p><p>The competition begins at safe light each day out of Tamarac Marina. </p><p>The entry fee is $200 per angler for the Boater Division; $100 per angler for the Co-angler Division. Registration takes place Friday, Sept. 13 at the marina from 4 to 6:30 p.m. followed by pairings and a pre-tournament briefing at 7 p.m.</p><p>High Rock ranked 80th on the 2013 Bassmaster Magazine's list of the top 100 bass lakes in the country, though the fishing has been slowed this season by heavy rains and muddy water.</p><p>With a recent drop in the water level, the crankbait bite might come into play more than it has in past tournaments. Most fishermen have been beating the piers with jigs and soft plastics to catch fish with the lake nearly full.</p><p>If the lake level doesn't rise again, fishermen will have access to Abbotts and Flat Swamp creeks. Only fishermen with low-profile boats or those willing to dismantle pedestal seats and windshields have been able to pass under the bridges to fish these creeks under high-water conditions. </p><p>The stakes are high at this tournament. The top anglers from this division join the top anglers from the Virginia, Maryland, New York, and Ohio divisions at a two-day regional event Oct. 11-12 on the James River, Williamsburg, Va. The top anglers in the regional competition advance to the Nov. 6-9 BWS National Championship on Old Hickory Lake, Tenn. The winner of that event gets to fish the 2014 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville, Ala.</p><p>Next season the Bassmaster Weekend Series — operated by American Bass Anglers through an agreement with B.A.S.S. — will cease to exist.</p><p>B.A.S.S. announced it will not renew its licensing agreement with the ABA after this year.</p><p>"The agreement, which began in 2007, will end Dec. 31," said Morris Sheehan, president of ABA. "ABA, based in Athens, Ala., will continue to conduct a series of one-and two-day professional bass fishing tournaments named the Weekend Bass Tour, or WBT. The newly named tour will not be associated with B.A.S.S. or its brands.</p><p>"We are proud of our association with B.A.S.S. and the Bassmaster brand over the past seven years. American Bass Anglers, our staff, and our tournament directors throughout the country have always been dedicated to serving weekend fishermen, and we will continue that tradition for years to come."</p><p>B.A.S.S. will seek other avenues to enhance grass-roots fishing. </p><p>"The Bassmaster Weekend Series has enabled B.A.S.S. members to compete on fisheries in their local regions, and we are grateful to ABA for providing those opportunities," said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. "The time has come to consider other grass-roots formats, including some that will enhance the B.A.S.S. Nation network of competitive events. We wish ABA success in its endeavors."</p><p><B>Hank Cherry of Maiden recently won the BASS 2013 Rookie of the Year title</B>, finishing with 507 points, more than 40 points ahead of his closest competitor.</p><p>During his rookie season on the tour, Cherry placed in the money in six of the eight Elite Series events following his third-place finish in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic.</p><p>"Being part of the Elite Series is real humbling," Cherry said. "Special is a lackluster word. It's been everything I imagined. I've watched most of these guys on TV, and I'm going to dinner with them and talking fishing with them — it's pretty unreal."</p><p><B>Dan Michaelson, aquatic biologist with the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries</B>, said Kerr Lake is slowly recovering from the bass virus that infected its bass population.</p><p>Anglers and biologists noted a decline in the number of big largemouth bass being caught at Kerr around 2004, but the virus wasn't confirmed until 2010. </p><p>"The growth rates are holding steady, and the fishery has improved in 2013 from what it was in 2012," said Michaelson. "The catch rates are good though bass weighing 4 pounds or more are scarce. Kerr will never return to the phenomenal bass fishery it was back in the '70s, but it can become a quality bass lake again."</p><p>Tony Garitta is a fishing columnist for The Dispatch.</p>